Saturday, March 07, 2009

CUT (Beverly Hills, CA) [3]

As regulars readers will attest to, I've often written about CUT being the premier steakhouse in Southern California. Despite that fact, I wasn't in a hurry to go back. But this particular night, March 7, also marked the one-year anniversary of kevinEats (the site went live on 3/7/08), so I suppose that gave me an "excuse" to celebrate (sometimes I need to rationalize things). Joining me were food bloggers Fiona of Gourmet Pigs, Mike of Right Way to Eat (who came up with the idea of going to CUT), and Ryan of Only Eat What Feeds Your Soul, among others.

Please see the posts from my first or second trips for some better photos. Daylight saving time had not hit during this visit (we actually missed it by one day!), so natural light was unfortunately lacking.

The menu was pretty much the same as last time--and the time before that--much to my disappointment. The appetizers have always been a strong point at CUT, so I'd really like to see the kitchen turn out some new creations. The dessert menu is slightly more novel, thanks in part I'm sure to the new pastry chef Nicole Lindsay, who replaces Ian Flores. Lindsay started out working for Tim and Liza Goodell's Domaine Restaurants. She had stints at the legendary OC French eatery Aubergine, the now defunct Troquet at South Coast Plaza (since replaced by the wonderful Marché Moderne), and the shuttered Red Pearl Kitchen in Downtown Huntington Beach (which was replaced by Takashi Abe's Izakaya Zero--recently closed down itself) before ending up at Spago and now CUT. Lee Hefter retains the Executive Chef title at CUT as well as Spago, while Ari Rosenson (formerly Executive Sous Chef at Spago) remains Chef de Cuisine. Click for larger versions.

Once again, we started with the fantastic breadsticks and gougères. Though delicious, I would've liked to have seen something new in the amuse bouche department.

I love to start off with bubbly, so we ordered a bottle of the 2002 Jose Dhondt Champagne Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Mes Vieilles Vignes [$122.00] to wash down our appetizers. A powerful sparkler, it showed loads of tart fruit on the palate, along with a bit of herbaceousness and light minerality. Its yeasty, toasty finish was reminiscent of an old (1990's) Krug.

Prime Sirloin "Steak Tartare", Herb Aioli, Mustard [$22.00]
A very competent, classic preparation of steak tartar--basically a dish of raw ground beef named after the Tatar people of Central Asia; legend has it that the nomads would place raw meat underneath their horses' saddles, thus tenderizing it after a long journey. Here, the meat itself was of high quality, and was livened up by the application of the tangy aioli, tart mustard, and smooth creamy richness of the quail egg. Experiencing all the various components in one bite was satisfying indeed, and delicious.

#1 Grade Blue Fin "Toro" Tartare, Wasabi Aioli, Ginger, Togarashi Crisps, Tosa Soy [$32.00]
I've had enough tuna tartares during the course of my culinary adventures that the dish has become somewhat clichéd. Fortunately, this one managed to break out of the mold somewhat. The mild sweetness of the tuna came through, but was superbly accented by the spiciness of the wasabi and the zestiness of the ginger. Meanwhile, the avocado, with its cool creaminess, served as a moderating contrast. Much improved from the first time, though I still think it could do with some more textural variety (like the pine nut- and pear-studded version at XIV).

Kobe Steak Sashimi, Spicy Radishes [$22.00]
I absolutely loved this on my first visit, but tonight the dish fell short of that last experience. The beef itself seemed less rich, less flavorful, while the dish overall had a more distinct "Asian" tinge to it. I did appreciate the application of the tangy sauce, greens, and radishes and how they complemented the meat, but even they weren't enough to propel it to the heights I expected.

Warm Veal Tongue, Marinated Artichokes, Cannellini Beans, "Salsa Verde" [$17.00]
I was extremely impressed with the veal tongue on my second visit, and thus decided to order it again. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to its previous self. The tongue's flavor was much gamier this time around, and overpowered the rest of the dish. Furthermore, the texture was also much firmer, and not nearly as tender. Sadly, the best part of this dish were the cannellini beans.

Maple Glazed Pork Belly, Asian Spices, Watercress, Sesame-Orange Dressing, Rhubarb Compote [$16.00]
This ended up being the only appetizer that I hadn't tasted before. Being pork belly, the meat was fatty, flavorful, and tender, as expected. However, the sweet glaze was a bit too much for me (like a fancy sweet & sour sauce), drowning out the natural flavor of the pork. Fortunately, the greens did help in tempering this to some extent.

We ended up having a difficult time choosing a wine for our steaks, finally ending up with a Fiona's choice of a Southern Rhône wine: the 1997 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape [$190.00]. The wine actually reminded me a bit of Pinot, with heady notes of spice, smoke, dark fruit, and game. The tannins were light but apparent, while the finish was middling. Decent with the steak, but not outstanding.

Kobe Beef Short Ribs "Indian Spiced", Curried Sweet Pea Purée, Garam Masala, Slowly Cooked For Eight Hours [$39.00]Sashimi Quality Big Eye Tuna Steak [$42.00]
I decided to break away from tradition and actually order some non-steak items this time. Interestingly, and unexpectedly, the kitchen decided to split up the two courses into individual serving portions. First up were some short ribs. Initially, the ribs had a rather prototypical flavor to them, but after a few moments, the garam masala (a blend of spices) really made itself known, giving the meat a delightfully Indian-laced finish. A fun, flavorful dish--a twist on the classic short rib. Next was some big eye tuna. I hadn't had a good tuna steak in a while, so this was a welcomed change of pace. The fish was cooked to a firm texture on the outside, but the interior was still delectably rare. All the while, the mild flavor of the tuna was apparent in spades, deftly accented by the dish's herbally accoutrements--nice.

Now we get to what drew us here in the first place--the meat. CUT serves up four types of beef: regular, dry aged, American Wagyu, and Japanese Wagyu. In the tradition of past meals here, we decided on making our own steak tasting, getting one NY strip of each type in order to compare the subtle and not-so-subtle differences between them. All steaks were done medium rare, grilled over hard wood and charcoal before being finished in a 1200-degree broiler.

U.S.D.A. Prime, Illinois Corn Fed, Aged 21 Days; Bone In New York Sirloin 20 Oz [$56.00]
The "low-end" steak at CUT is still a cut above most. It is a wet-aged steak, with a mild flavor--tender, but not overwhelmingly so, with nicely charred exterior. My only real complaint was that a few bites had a bit of gristle in them. Though it was overshadowed somewhat by its peers, I'd be perfectly happy just eating this.

U.S.D.A. Prime, Nebraska Corn Fed, Dry Aged 35 Days; New York Sirloin 14 Oz [$59.00]
Now here's basically a dry-aged version of the standard steak. Dry-aging is a relatively expensive method of concentrating the beef's flavor through a process of controlled rotting. The price premium is worth it though. The flavor here was richer, grassier, and bolder. Interestingly, in terms of texture, the meat was slightly tougher.

American Wagyu / Angus "Kobe Style" Beef From Snake River Farms, Idaho; New York Sirloin 8 Oz [$75.00]
Snake River Farms beef is actually a cross between Wagyu and Angus varieties, and thus, the meat represents a medium between the two styles. Tenderness was definitely kicked up a notch here, as was oiliness and fattiness, while flavor was retained. Surprisingly, this was actually my favorite of the quartet this time (it was my least favorite last time!).

True Japanese 100% Wagyu Beef From Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan; New York Sirloin 6 Oz [$120.00]
The amount of marbling, the amount of fat here was intense, resulting in a soft, gelatinous texture. This "real deal" Japanese beef had been my favorite on prior visits, but didn't live up to the hype this time around. I felt that the meat was somewhat "drier," lacking the rich, oozing juiciness present before. The fat was also not as well-integrated--it was more in-your-face, drawing attention away from the beef's natural flavor instead of augmenting it. Time for dessert...

Brooke Cherry Toasted Almond Crumble, Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream [$14.00]
This was basically ice cream and fruit, on top of which our server spooned the cherry crumble. The whole thing reminded me of a yogurt parfait, with the ice cream tempering the tartness of the crumble, while also providing a great contrast in texture as well as temperature.

Dark Chocolate Soufflé, Whipped Crème Fraîche, Gianduja Ice Cream [$14.00]
Though I'm not a huge fan of soufflés, we somehow end up ordering one every time! The dessert remained pretty much unchanged from before--light, fluffy, not too sweet, well accentuated by the cold nuttiness of the gianduja (a hazelnut-chocolate ice cream) and the slight tang of the crème fraîche.

Warm Brioche Doughnuts, Huckleberry Compote, Butter Pecan Ice Cream [$14.00]
We're saving the best for last. The doughnuts were simply fantastic--delicate, yet powerful enough to stand on their own, they were taken to another level by the tart, fruity huckleberry (think jelly-filled doughnuts) and the rich, nutty ice cream. I thought that this was right up there with the infamous "Coffee and Doughnuts" at French Laundry, while one of my dining companions called these the "best doughnuts I've ever had."

As before, we had three types of cookies to end the meal: lemon, caramel crunch (my favorite), and chocolate.

Sadly, I'd have to say that this was my weakest trip to CUT so far. In terms of the appetizers, all except the tartares fell short of expectations, while the steak wasn't quite as good as I recalled. There were highlights, to be sure, but overall, I felt a bit let down leaving the meal. Some of the novelty has worn off, and I think the kitchen needs to change things up a bit--maybe that's it. Nevertheless, I do still think that CUT is the best place for steak in LA, and I'm sure I'll be back (just not too soon).

Great to see the comparison of previous visits. I hope to try it again on my next LA visit for that same reason, as my first experience a few months back was stellar. Interesting to see which dishes rose to the forefront this time. Thanks for all your "hard work." Wish the Bay Area offered something of this caliber and variety when it came to steak.

Dan: Do be sure to report back if you ever return to CUT. I hope this was just an isolated occurence, and that my next visit will be up to par to my first two.

Evan: Historically, I've only posted bills if they were "notable," so I haven't really stopped doing it per se. It's interesting that you mention it now though, as they did in fact tack on a split charge--the first time I've seen it here. I'll try to post the check more often in the future.

Well I'm glad I've found your site, I'm sure I will be commenting a lot. I stumbled on it when I was searching for menu info for Cut. I am going this Tuesday for the first time and wanted to know what I was getting into. I'm not sure I'm going to try the steak tasting menu. The problem I see with it, is that it usually takes more than a few bites to fairly judge a steak. Perhaps 4 oz is enough to do this, but not 2 oz. Maybe that is why you've had 2 different opinions of the Japanese wygu. I'm leaning towards either the wet aged 16oz bone in filet or the 14oz dry aged strip. Too bad they don't have a dry aged porterhouse on the menu, then I'd have the best of both worlds. I am a big fan of dry aged steak, and you don't get that very many places. The best steakhouse I've ever eaten at is Bern's Steakhouse in Tampa, FL. There all their steaks are dry aged 5 to 8 weeks. WOW what a flavor. You can get any size and cut you want because they cut them after you order. They also have the worlds largest wine list. It's about the size of a bible. After your dinner you tour their kitchen, one of their wine cellars, and a cheese cave. Then it's on to the desert room upstairs, where you get your own private booth made out of old wine casks. Here you can stay as long as you wish and enjoy desert and desert wines. It is truly a dining experience like no other. I think you should make a pilgrimage sometime. www.bernssteakhouse.com and make sure you read their pdf file menu http://www.bernssteakhouse.com/Portals/0/Documents/BSH%20Menu.pdf

Dave: That menu for Bern's may be the longest one I've ever seen! It does look very good though. I am somewhat familiar with them and their insane wine list, as I was actually considering purchasing some wine from them at one point.

Definitely try the dry-aged at CUT. If you're going with someone else, I'd also recommend you try a Wagyu steak as well for comparison. Do let us know what you think about it!

Fiona: Yeah, the Wagyu fell short this time around, so you need to go back. ;)

The camera I mentioned is the Fuji FinePix F200EXR; it just came out and sells for around $400. Its high ISO performance is improved maybe 1/2-1 stop compared to my F30, plus it has image stabilization. Unfortunately, it's also got a 1/2 stop slower lens: f3.3 to my f2.8.

hey kevin..sorry to hear it wasnt a cut above this time. sorry for that pun. i havent been back in a while and i think i need to. the american waygu is my personal favorite. soo tasty. but as you noted, even the two "lesser" steaks are really good as well.

what is the deal with qauil eggs being served all the time now?

Paul

P.S. Recession? what recession! keep on doing it as long as you can Kevin!

So last night I ate a cut for the first time. My experience was very good but not mind blowing. As I posted earlier, I've had mind blowing at Bern's Steakhouse so many times, that it's hard to live up to those expectations. Also it was only my wife and me, so that means 100% of the bill was coming out of our bank account that night. While I wish that wasn't a factor, unfortunately it was. Our goal was to keep it under $250.

The breads were all very good. Same four as you described. The butter was well seasoned as well. So many fine dining establishments serve unsalted butter, which I've never understood. The onion focaccia was excellent. I'm sure I don't want to know how much flavored olive oil had been soaked up into that focaccia. Although I would have loved to try their Steak tartare, my wife had no interest, so we moved straight into the steaks.

We split the 6oz American Wagyu filet and the 16oz wet aged bone in filet. The flavor of both were very good. Taste wise, I liked these a lot better than Mastros 18oz bone in. Both were ordered medium rare. Unfortunately only one came out that way. The 16oz filet was medium and not on the rare side of medium even. Time permitting, I would have sent this steak back, but we only had so long for the baby sitter and the steak was still enjoyable, just a little too cooked for our taste. Between the two the American Wagyu was of course the better steak. But if my wet aged was medium rare, I'm not sure there would have been that much difference. That surprised me. I think I had such high expectations for the Wagyu, since I've never had a Kobe steak before. Something else to think about, maybe the filet is such a tender cut to begin with that there isn't that much difference. I discussed this with our waiter, who was excellent. He agreed that we would notice the difference a lot more with a tougher steak like a strip. Although he did say that when they get a Japanese Wagyu Filet in, you can basically eat it with just your tongue.

We ordered 2 traditional steakhouse sides in the mac&cheese and onion rings. The onion rings were the same as Bern's Steakhouse onion rings. Same exact flavor, although nicely stacked, where Bern's are a little thinner and kind of a jumbled mess on your plate. So A+ for those. The Mac & Cheese was also excellent, we couldn't leave any of that behind, so when nobody was looking pieces of that onion focaccia came in handy for "fondueing" :) We finished up with the Donuts w/blueberries & lemon nut gelato. Great dessert.

After adding a couple of martinis and a glass of wine, we went slightly over our $250 goal. But it was a very good experience, and I will go back. Hopefully next time with a few other friends so we can split the bill and I can actually try the real Japanese Wagyu.

For the bread, my favorite was the onion focaccia as well, with the pretzel bread next.

It's too bad that the wet-aged was a bit too well done for you. Even if it had been medium rare, I imagine it would've lacked the unctuousness of the American Wagyu, not to mention the Japanese. I think you're right though in that the difference isn't as pronounced with filets. On my second visit, I did get to try the Japanese filet, and as your waiter mentioned, it was fantastic.

I usually don't get sides, but it's good to hear that the mac & cheese and onion rings didn't give up too much to the steak.

So all in all, it sounds like you had a pleasant experience at CUT, even if it didn't live up to Bern's in some ways. Do try the Japanese Wagyu next time though!

Loved these three reviews of CUT - along with a great experience at Spago in the past they were the reason I went after my interview at Cedars. I don't eat beef, but every aspect of the meal was superb and that Souffle....you really don't need to order one anywhere else, it is the best.

Kevin, I stumbled on your blog because I am going to CUT tomorrow and was doing some research on the menu. However, I ended up reading your other reviews because they were so interesting. I especially enjoyed the pictures that you take of all of the dishes. Why can't traditional food reviewers do the same? Anyways, I am contemplating getting the dry-aged cut or the American Wagyu cut. I like flavor but nothing too heavy. Which do you recommend?

On a side note, I had a delightful brunch at Universal Cafe in San Francisco this past weekend. Check it out if you have time next time you are up there.

John, thanks for the note. Since you prefer a stronger flavor yet a lighter body, I'd say go with the dry-aged. Or, better yet, if you're dining with someone, get both. Do let us know how CUT turns out for you.

As for the photos, I think that traditional restaurant reviewers view the practice as a bit uncouth. But like you said, pictures make for a much more interesting review.

Kevin, I had my meal at CUT and the review is mixed. I noted some pointers from your trips and planned mine accordingly. To start, I got there fifteen minutes early because I didn't want to be late and the traffic on Wilshire can be unpredictable. I waited patiently for fifteen minutes until my reserved time came around -- and then waited half an hour longer! It was through no fault of the restaurant since they couldn't just kick out the diners but it was very annoying when I made reservations and even went out of my way to arrive early. To their credit, the restaurant served us a couple glasses of champagne, on the house, for our trouble.

We finally got seated and we started off with some bread. It was fantastic and all of the varieties get two thumbs up. Then we got to appetizers. We ordered the tuna tartare, blue crab and lobster cocktail, and veal tongue. The tuna and seafood cocktail were passable but I thought the true quality of the seafood was over-powered by the seasoning and sauces. The veal tongue, on the other hand, was prepared perfectly and appropriately matched with the vegetables, beans and salsa verde. I'm not a big fan of tongue but this appetizer worked.

Finally, it was time for the main event. We took another page from your playbook and ordered two different steaks to compare. I didn't see the Japanese Wagyu filet on the menu but thought I'd ask anyways. The server checked with the kitchen and returned to report that there was one piece left. We claimed our stake on that last morsel and decided to pair it with a dry-aged New York Sirloin. It's wasn't an apples to apples comparison but we didn't care. Naturally, we requested that they be cooked medium-rare. Unfortunately, they were over-cooked. The Japanese Wagyu filet, being a thinner cut, was almost well-done and the New York was closer to medium. Of course, they were both still very good but I ended up enjoying the the New York more. It was firmer than the Japanese Wagyu but it was juicier. The Wagyu was extremely tender but almost dry in its consistency. We also ordered some mac and cheese and whipped potatoes for our sides, which complimented the beef, but I couldn't help but feel let down. I don't know if things would have been different had the beef not been over-cooked, perhaps that will be determined on my next visit, but I cannot rave about the steaks that I consumed at this visit.

The last thing we tried was the dessert. By this time, my friend and I were completely full but I just had to try the doughnuts that I saw from your blog. Without flinching, I ordered doughnuts and ice-cream. The server confirmed my selection and walked away, only to return in about five seconds and ask me, "did you even look at the menu?" Apparently they were not offering doughnuts that night. We ended up resorting to Plan B and split the Bruléed Banana Cream Pie. As expected, it was very tasty and a suitable ending to the meal.

Overall, the experience was enjoyable and I have no regrets, except for the fact that I ordered a bit too much food, and I'll admit that that steak was definitely the highest quality beef that I've ever tried. However, was it the best bang-for-the-buck? I can't say that it was for me but I know that it's relative so I won't go there. On a side note, I tried taking some pictures and they all came out black. I know you've previously mentioned the model of your camera but can you refresh my memory?

John, thanks for this very comprehensive report. Perhaps you should start your own blog!

It's too bad things didn't go as well as they could've. I guess the night got off to a shaky start with the wait and never quite recovered, but at least the Champagne was a nice gesture. For the steak, I don't think I've ever had a problem with overcooking (and I do medium-rare as well) fortunately. Did you try to inform the kitchen of the error?

As for my camera, for my CUT trips I used a Fujifilm FinePix F30, but I've since switched over to a Sony a-300 DSLR. It can be tricky to take photos at CUT if there isn't sufficient natural light, as you've encountered.

Kevin, thanks for the information on the camera. I will check out the A-300. And I don't dine often enough to write a restaurant blog but let me know if you ever need any suggestions for Korean drinking establishments ;)

I really enjoy all the restaurant reviews you have posted!! I have read about 80% so far. It’s been very helpful! I went to Cut on Saturday very excited to try the Japanese Wagyu. I have tried it before at Katana's and BOA as a sampler and have always been very pleased. I'm quite disappointed to say the Wagyu I got served at CUT was not up to my expectation. I ordered an 8oz cut of Japanese New York ($160) and my date got the 8oz American Kobe Filet ($100). We decided to split the steaks so we can both try each. The American Kobe was excellent! Very soft and perfectly cooked. I must say the American Kobe is definitely worth the price. As far as the Japanese wagyu it was good if it was a $50 steak you expect from a run of the mill steak house. I even had to double check with my waiter to see if I got the right order. He didn’t even look at the steak and told me it was the right one. I ended up eating only about half the steak. It was just too tough and dry to finish. I ordered it medium. Hopefully it was just a bad cut.

I'm glad you've been able to enjoy the blog John! I'm sorry to hear about your experience with the Japanese wagyu; that's certainly not par for the course here. It almost sounds like they grossly overcooked the meat; I think I would've tried sending it back if such a thing happened to me.

I've recently stumbled apon your food blog and what a treasure! Your posts are incredibly informative and fun to read. I love the photos. Your blog is now one of my favorite websites. Do you have a recommendation for the best chocolate souffles? Especially in LA. Thanks you! :)